Last week, the United Auto Workers union filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board after losing an election at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, alleging that anti-UAW comments from Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and other prominent state Republicans amounted to “outside interference.”

Corker’s statements, in particular—which suggested the planned expansion of the plant could be at risk depending on the outcome of the election—were cited by the UAW as leading many workers to vote against unionization.

But now the senator is backpedalling. In an interview with Working In These Times on Thursday, Corker said he was only trying to counter intimidation on the part of the union.

“The UAW was telling all the folks inside the plant that the only way the plant would expand would be if the UAW was successful in organizing the plant," Corker says. "And so I just wanted to make sure that employees knew that Chattanooga was still going to be number one if they didn’t.”

Corker, however, never raised these motivations when he spoke out earlier this month about how the election could impact new work coming to the factory.

“I’ve had conversations … and based on those am assured that should the workers vote against the UAW, Volkswagen will announce in the coming weeks that it will manufacture its new mid-size SUV here in Chattanooga,” Corker told reporters on the first day of the three-day election.

“I am incredibly offended by Corker’s statements,” says pro-UAW Volkswagen worker Bryon Spencer. “The only side spreading lies, misinformation, and rumors is the anti - [union] side. It is apparent to me that Corker is in bed with these folks. Corker promised us our SUV in two weeks if we voted down the union.”

Corker told the Associated Press that if the union lost, Volkswagen would announce production of the new SUV line at the Chattanooga plant within two weeks. Today marks two weeks since the UAW election defeat; no announcement has been made.

Corker blames the silence on the UAW’s decision to file NLRB charges. In a February 21 response to the UAW charges, Corker said, “The workers at Chattanooga's Volkswagen plant spoke very clearly last week, so we are disappointed the UAW is ignoring their decision and has filed this objection. Unfortunately, I have to assume that today's action may slow down Volkswagen's final discussions on the new SUV line.”

When pressed by Working In These Times as to whether his source was a Volkswagen representative, Corker cited a “whole host of people both in and outside of the company that I’m constantly in contact with.”

“Believe me,” Corker said, “I would never say anything that I didn’t believe to be 100 percent true.”

But for Byron Spencer, Corker’s word isn’t good enough. “The union was voted [upon] and we have no SUV,” says Spencer. “I think it is quite obvious who is lying here.”

UAW is a website sponsor of In These Times. Sponsors have no role in editorial content.

More by Mike Elk and Cole Stangler

The reason why no statement has been made yet by Volkswagen is that they are waiting for a change of outcome in the Unionisation of the plant, else Volkswagen workers in Germany will vote to cancel the plant in Tennessee and possibly in the US all together.Of course now the GOP can attack German Union thugs and demand the German government arrest them, for interference with the tea bagger war on Democrat voting unions in the US.

It's all a smoke screen and theater. Fox likes to stir the pot by pretending the President is a socialist, but they know very well what the President is about with the secretly-negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership agreement: same thing that Clinton did with NAFTA--payback required by the corporate monopolists who put them in office. All the rest is a charade.

Posted by Richard Gray on 2014-03-01 21:01:11

VWteammember said it best- "cork it Bob." Thank you UAW for confronting Corker's unlawful sabotage of the vote on having a union. Whether or not the NLRB decides against Corker, UAW standing up and fighting back paves the way for the next union drive.

Posted by rkean on 2014-03-01 20:10:37

When are the people of this country going to wake up and stop re-electing anyone with an "R" in front of their name? Corker is a lying bastard and isn't man enough to admit it. He should resign in disgrace.

Posted by walkman56 on 2014-03-01 15:01:17

Real people know why all companies want to sell good and services in the United States, for those who are real people I will tell you it is because of our middle class. People claim obama wants to make our nation socialist be if you look around the world at socialist nations you will see that in Socialist Nations the same pattern about fifty wealthy families and the rest of the nation poor, I am not talking middle class, I am talking poor. 50 ruling families with all the money implementing all the government policies, and the rest of the nation poor. Obama, democrats and Unions are fighting for better wages better wages means a strong middle class and that means a strong economy. A stronger economy equals a robust middle class which include more poor people climbing up out of poverty and into the middle class, which means more economic freedom, which means more good and services to sell to Americans...Obama is far from a socialist, but Fox news and their viewers will tell you otherwise...

Posted by RJ on 2014-03-01 03:50:57

The way you can tell a sociopath is that the lie they got caught on is someone else's fault.

Posted by DavidD on 2014-02-28 19:45:02

The way you tell a habitual liar is when confronted with a truth that cannot be denied that he lied the story changes.

Posted by DavidD on 2014-02-28 19:43:11

Cork It BOB!

Posted by VWteammember on 2014-02-28 15:56:19

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